2015 NBA All-Star Game: Preview, Prediction

By RantSports Staff on February 12, 2015

Matchup: West All-Stars vs. East All-Stars

TV Schedule: Sunday, Feb. 15, 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT

Stadium: Madison Square Garden

 

Meet the 2015 NBA All-Stars

East All-Stars: Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Pau Gasol, John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Chris Bosh, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Dwyane Wade (injured)

East Coach: Mike Budenholzer

West All-Stars: Blake Griffin (injured), Marc Gasol, Kobe Bryant (injured), Anthony Davis (injured), Stephen Curry, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, Russell Westbrook, Dirk Nowitzki

West Coach: Steve Kerr

 

First team to 200 wins? The NBA All-Star Game, year after year, is a high-scoring affair where defense doesn’t come first, second or third — it is hanging out on the bench, or some place like that. But what do the fans want to see? They want to see their favorite players scoring at will, that’s what. This year shouldn’t be any different, and in no way is that a bad thing.

Last year’s game was won by the East, 163-155.

As for this year, it is kind of hard not to go with the East again. After all, LeBron James does play for the East, and he is kind of the best player in the game. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how the West deals with a couple of injuries to players who were supposed to start.

Regardless, everyone should be more than excited about great guard play in this one. When a team has Kyrie Irving coming off the bench, who was the MVP of last year’s game, you know that team is stacked at the guard position. The West has Curry starting, who could come away with the actual MVP award at season’s end.

Oh yeah, there is also that fact that Lillard (yes, the same Lillard who is putting up 21.5 points per game) had to be named a replacement just to get in. That tends to happen when stars like Harden, Westbrook and Paul are also in the lineup.

As usual, seeing King James and Durant (the past two MVPs) draining baskets left and right should be a fun watch.

You never know, this could be Duncan’s last All-Star game as well.

Although it is easy to go with LeBron and Co., we are going Team West. Why? Well, Curry, for one. Either way, this should be another great All-Star weekend in the NBA, and we are bound to see a couple of highlights during the big game.

PREDICTION: East 155, West 157